Ditch-forming grader



- Sept. 2 1924.

N o. A. HOKANSON I VARIABLE LINE SPACER Fil Aug. l3 1921 2 Sheets-Shut lSept. 2 1924.

o. A. HOKANSON VARIABLE LI NE S PACER 2 Sheets-Shout 2 Filed Aug. 13,1921 Patented Sept. 2, 1924-.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO A. HOKANSON, 0F WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNO'R T0 WOODSTOCK TYPE-'WRITER COMPANY, OF WOODSTOCK, ILLINQIS. A. CORPORATION QI! ILLINOIS.

VARIABLE LINE SPACER.

Application filed August 13, 1921.

To all whom it may concern Be it known. that I, OTTO A. HOKANSON, acitizen of the United States. residing at IVoodstock. in the county ofMcI-Ienry and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Variable Line Spacers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to mechanism for rotating a typewriter platen forline spacing, including means for shifting the platen various amountsdiifering from the ordinary line spacing. The invention has for itsobject the provision of mechanism of the class named which shall be ofimproved construct-ion and operation. It is exemplified in thecombination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawingand described in the following specification and is more particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of atypewriter platen support showing one embodiment of the presentinvention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section substan tially on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a slightly modified form ofthe invention;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. 2 and 4 showing another modification;and

7 is a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

In Fig. 1 the numeral 8 designates a platen mounted on a platen shaft 9which is provided with a milled groove, as shown at 10. A sleeve 11surrounds the shaft 9 and is provided with an extension 12 to which theplaten 8 is'secured by a set screw 13. A second sleeve 14: is detachablysecured to the sleeve'll by a set screw 15. The sleeve 1% is detachablyfixed to the shaft 9 by a set screw 16. The sleeve 11 is journaled inthe platen carriage frame 17 and is held in place by the sleeve 14. Aknob or finger piece 18 is molded or otherwise fixed on the end of thesleeve 11-. It will be apparent that rotation of the knob 18 will rotatethe platen 8 in the usual manner.

A housing 19 is rotatably journaled -on an enlarged portion 20 of thesleeve 11' and a .ratchet wheel 21 is fixed to the housing 19 to rotatethere-with. A disc 22 is formed Serial No. 492,185.

on the end of the enlarged bearing portion 20 of the sleeve 11 and hasopposite edges thereof flattened to form straight runways, as shown at23 in Fig. 2. The housing 19 is provided with an overhanging flange orring 24k which engages the outer periphery of the disc 22. A pluralityof dogs 25 are pivotally secured upon the face of the disc 22 by screws26. The dogs are arranged in pairs. as shown in Fig. 2, the dogs of eachpair being provided with rollers '27 which extend into the openingadjacent the runways 23. Coil springs 28 normally press into the bightsbetween the runways 2'3 and the inner surface of the flange 24-. It willbe apparent that the rollers 27 will thus form a clutch or lock forholding the housing 19 against rotation relative to the disc 22. Anyusual line spacing mechanism is provided for rotating the ratchet wheel21, and this rotationwill be transmittedthrough the housing 19 and disc22 to the platen shaft 9.

It is sometimes desirable to rotate the platen independently of theratchet wheel 21 for adjusting the spacing of the paper relative to theprinting line or for other purposes. In order that this may be done.mechanism is provided for releasing the clutch rollers 27 to permit theplaten to be rotated while the ratchet wheel 21 remains stationary. Thereleasing mechanism for the clutch rollers 27 comprises alever plate 29journaled on the projecting flange 12 on the disc 22. A rod 31 iscentrally positioned in the platen shaft 9 and is provided with anangularly bent end 32 positioned in a notch 33 in the lever plate 39 sothat rot-ation'of the rod 31 turns the lever plate in unison therewith.The milled slot 10 in the shaft 9 is flared outwardly to permita slightrotation of the .rod 31 relative to the shaft, and the flange 12 is cutaway in a similar manner. The lever plate 29 is providedwith lingers 34which extend between tailpieces 35 on the dogs 25. The lever plate 29.is also provided with shoulders 36 vpositioned adjacent the tailpieces35. Rotation of-the rod 31 in either direction will cause the notchesbetween the fingers 34 and the shoulders 36300 engage the tailpieces :35and simultaneously swing all of the tailpieces outwardly thus moving the.rollers 27 to- 'ward oneranother agains'tthe tension of the the rollers27 away from one another and springs 28. This movement will release therollers 27 tofpermit relative rotation between the platen and theratchet wheel 21. I

The rod 31 extends beyond the end of the sleeve 14 and is provided witha knob' 37 secured to its outer end and having a flange 38 journaled onthe end of the sleeve 14. The flange 38 recessed, as shown at 39, and anopen spring ring is housed in'the recess. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, thering 40 has its ends slit forming tongues 41 and 42 which are oppositelybent, the tongues 41 engaging the sides of a slot 43 in the outer wallof the recess 39, and the tongues 42 engaging the walls of a slot 44 inthe end of sleeve 14. As willbe seen from Fig. 3, the ring 40 willresiliently hold the two slots 43 and 44 in alinement with the bent end32 of the rod 31 in central position shown in Fig. 2. The knob 37 berotated a limited amount in either direction relative to the sleeve 14to moveth'e bent end 32, but when the knob'is released it will beautomati'cally returned to central position by the spring ring 40. I

When it is desired to adjust the platen 8 relative to the ratchet wheel21 it is only necessary for the operator to grasp the knob 37 and turnthe knob in the direction in which the platen is to be rotated. Thefirst effect of the rotation of the knob 37 will be to move the leverplate 29 a suflicient amount to release the rollers 27. Further rotationof the knob will bring the tongues 41 and 42 into engagement with oneanother and at the same time bring the end 32 of the rod 31 against theface of the groove 10 in the shaft 9. As the knob continues to rotatethe tongues 41 and 42 and the bent end 32 of the rod 31 will tend torotate the platen shaft and adjust the platen any amount desired by theoperator. The adjustment of the platen may be effected equally well ineither direction relative to the ratchet wheel 21. The platen may berotated by the knob 18 under control of ratchet wheel 21 in the usualmanner, or the knob 18 may be omitted and rotation of the platen undercontrol of the ratchet may be performed by a knob atthe other end of theplaten.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the mechanism issimilar to that described, except that the tailpieces 35 on the dogs 25bear against opposite edges of blocks 45 pivotally held by screws 46 onthe face of the disc 22. The innerends of the blocks 42 are notched at47 to receive tongues 48 on the lever plate 29. Rotation of the rod 31will'swing the blocks 45 about their pivots and operate the dogs torelease the clutch rollers. The other operation of thisform of theinvention is similar to that previously described.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the opposite edgesof the disc 22 are cut away along curves 23, as shown in Fig. 6, thecurves 23 being preferably arcs of circles of comparatively long radii.This provides bearing surfaces for the rollers 27 which insures positiveaction of the clutch rollers without jamming or sticking. In

this form of the invention the rollers 27 are carried. by dogs 49 havingtailpieces 50 arranged to bear against tongues 51 on the lever plate 52.The plate 52is mounted on the flange 12 and operated by the bent. end

32' of the rod 31 in the manner previously described. It will be seenthat movement of the lever plate 52 in either direction will cause thetongues 51 to release diagonally opposite rollers 27, but will notaifect the remaining rollers. However, continued rotation of the shaft 9in the direction of the releasing movement of the lever plate 52 willdraw the remaining rollers 27 in a direction to release them from theirclutching action so that a positive releasing movement of these rollersis unnecessary. The lever plate 52 is provided with a slot 53 throughwhich a screw 54 passes to hold the lever plate in position on the disc22. The operation of this form of invention in other respects is similarto that previously described.

I claim v i 1. The combination with a platen and a line spacing wheelloosely mounted thereon, of a'clutch disc connected with one of saidmembers. a clutch ring connected with the other of said members andsurrounding said disc, said disc having a portion of the peripherythereof flattened to provide a clutching surface inclined to the surfaceof said ring, a pair of oppositely disposed clutching rollers positionedin the space between s aid flattened surface and said ring, resilientmeans for forcing said rollers in opposite directions into the bightsbetween said disc and ring, pivot levers for shifting said dogs towardone another against the tension of said ring, and means forsimultaneously operating said levers to release both of said rollers. g

2. The combination with a platen and a line spacing wheel looselymounted thereon, of a clutch disc connected with one of said members, aclutch ring connected with the other of said members and surroundingsaid disc, said disc having opposite portions thereof flattened toprovide clutching, surfaces, a pair of oppositely acting rollersarranged to travel on each of said clutching wheel when rotated ineither direction for simultaneously actuating all of said levers forreleasing said clutch rollers.

3. The combination with a platen and a line-spacing wheel looselyconnected therewith, of a pair of oppositely acting clutch rollers forholding said platen in fixed relation with said line-spacing wheel, saidclutch rollers being positioned at opposite ends of the lunate openingbetween two curved surfaces of different radii with which surfaces theycooperate to hold said wheel and platen in fixed relation to oneanother.

4. The combination with a platen and a line-spacing wheel looselyconnected therewith, of clutch members connected respectively with saidwheel and platen, said clutching members having curved surfaces arrangedto converge toward one another and providing a lunate openingtherebetween, a pair of rollers positioned between said surfaces one ateach end of said lunate opening and arranged to cooperate there'- withto hold said platen and Wheel in fixed relation to one another, leversconnected with said rollers, and a rotary member arranged to actuate oneof said levers at the beginning of rotation thereof. v

5. The combination with a platen and a line-spacing wheel rotatablymounted on the axis thereof, a pair of clutch members connectedrespectively with said Wheel and platen, said clutch members havingoppositely disposed and differently curved clutch surfaces whichconverge toward one another, rollers interposed between said surfaces,resilient means for pressing said rollers into the bights between saidsurfaces to hold said platen and line-spacing wheel in fixed relation toone another, a lever for releasing one of said rollers to permitrotation of said wheel and platen relative to one another, a rotarymember for actuating said lever during the beginning of rotationthereof, and a spring interposed between said rotary memher and saidplaten.

6. The combination with a platen, of a line spacing wheel looselymounted thereon, cooperating clutch members connected with said platenand wheel respectively, clutch rollers interposed between said clutchmembers, a rotary finger-piece for releasing said clutch rollers, saidfinger-piece having limited movement relative to said platen, and aspring for resisting relative movement of said finger-piece and platen,said spring being arranged to return said finger-piece to its normalposition relative to said platen after rotation thereof.

7. The combination with a platen, of a line spacing wheel looselymounted thereon, clutch mechanism for holding said platen and wheel infixed relation to one another, means for releasing said clutchmechanism, a rotary finger-piece for actuating said releasing means,opposed abutments connected with said finger-piece and platen, and aspring interposed between said abutments for resisting relative movementthereof in either direction and for returning said fingerpiece to itsnormal position relative to said platen after rotation thereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this4th day of August, A. D. 1921.

OTTO A. HOKANSON.

